The Proposal
by I'm Still So Deep
Summary: A few years after the fight with Buu, Gohan decides it's time to propose to Videl. But he's too nervous about it so he does the only logical thing: ask for marriage advice from Krillin, Goku. . .and Vegeta? One-shot.


A/N: Well, I'm sure those of you that are familiar with my work are quite baffled right now, seeing as how all my stories are dramatic and angsty and centered around Bulma and Vegeta. But I promise you I am actually quite funny! At least I think I am. . .*sweat drops* But anyway, I wanted to get away from writing such sad stories and only writing about the same characters for a while, so I came up with this fic about one of my most favorite characters which obviously is Gohan. So here is my first humorous fic; I hope it doesn't disappoint!

Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ or any of its characters. Obviously, since my name isn't Akira Toriyama.

* * *

"Oooh, look at this one, it's perfect for Videl! No, no I changed my mind, this one is better! Wait, nevermind, _this_ one is the best!" Bulma oohed and aahed as she stared at a row of sparkly diamonds kept inside a case, almost hypnotized by their beauty.

"Uhhhhh. . ." Gohan faltered, feeling totally out of his element and overwhelmed as he looked around the jewelry store, wiping sweat from his eyebrow as his nerves began to set in.

After dating Videl for almost five years Gohan had finally decided it was time to pop the question. They both had just graduated from college and gotten jobs, so he figured now was the right time to settle down and start a family. But he was unsure of how to go about the whole thing, especially when it came to picking out a ring. He didn't know the first thing about jewelry, but he knew somebody who did. And that somebody was Bulma Briefs, who was pretty much always drenched in diamonds. He knew she'd be perfect to help out. She didn't even hesitate to help him, being rather giggly and animated by the whole thing, and had taken him to the most exquisite (and expensive) jewelry store she knew of.

"Okay, for real this time, _**THIS **_one is winner!" she gushed as she pointed to the biggest ring in the case, which was a 10-carat diamond that outshined the rest. Literally. Gohan squinted as the glare of the bright diamond nearly blinded him. Once his eyes adjusted his jaw nearly fell to the floor as he looked at the price tag.

"One million zenie?! A-are you crazy, Bulma? I don't have that kind of money!"

"Hm, I guess to a normal person that is a lot of money," Bulma mused, tapping her index finger against her chin. She then shrugged. "Oh well, no matter. I'll just have to help you pay for it!"

Gohan shook his head profusely. "I can't let you do that! That's way too much!"

"Oh, Gohan don't be silly!" Bulma said with a causal wave of her hand. "I'm the richest woman on this damn planet; money is no object to me. Besides, I'm a sucker for young love so I wanna help out and make this special for Videl. Plus, with the money you had saved up you could've only afforded some cheap ring that would've turned the poor girl's finger green, and that just won't do!"

Gohan blushed, but bowed his head in a gesture of gratitude. "Thank you so much, Bulma, I owe you that's for sure!"

"Don't mention it! But seriously, don't mention it. I just spent half-a-million zenie last week in here instead of going to the grocery store to buy Vegeta some eggrolls, so he wouldn't be pleased to know I've been neglecting the shopping list in favor of diamonds," she whispered as she took her credit card out of her purse and informed the sales clerk of which ring she wanted. Gohan just nodded, his eyebrow twitching slightly. He couldn't imagine being so careless with money. And eggrolls were a necessity of life, so he felt Vegeta's pain.

"So how are you gonna propose exactly?" she asked over her shoulder as the sales clerk gathered the ring up.

"I actually wanted to get some input from others on how they did it. I was gonna ask Krillin first," Gohan said as he twiddled with his thumbs.

"Good luck with that! The men in the group are pretty clueless when it comes to romance, but I guess it couldn't hurt to ask them. It will be entertaining to say the least," Bulma snorted and reached for the ring as the sales clerk handed it to her with a wide smile and told her to come back anytime, day or night, since she was one of their best customers, especially after this purchase.

Bulma handed the ring that was now placed in a black velvet box to Gohan and grinned. "Well, here it is! I know you'll find a way to make this special for Videl!" she said with a thumbs-up before exiting the store, on her way to do some more shopping for the day.

Gohan stared down at the box in his hand, his whole body tensing up. This was all becoming too real. He was no longer a kid; he was about to be a married man. Now all he had to do was figure out how he was gonna ask Videl.

* * *

Gohan flew over to Kame House later that day to see Krillin and ask just how he proposed to 18. He was sure it would be one of heck of a story, seeing as how they were the most unlikely couple he had ever come across. He knocked on the door three times, and was surprised to see Marron answer the door.

"Hi, Gohan!" the little girl flashed him a toothy grin, bouncing up and down.

"Hey, Marron," Gohan smiled back as he stepped inside, looking around the living room for Krillin. "Do you know where your dad is? I'd like to talk to him."

"Yeah!" she said with a nod, pointing up the stairs. "Mommy is taking a bath and daddy is helping her! But I will go get him!"

"Ahhhhhh, you don't have to—" but before he could finish the little girl dashed up the stairs and he could hear frantic noises coming from the bathroom. He knew Krillin probably wouldn't be too happy about him interrupting his alone time with 18.

Krillin emerged a few minutes later from up the stairs with only a towel wrapped around his waist, water dripping off the ends of his dark hair. He didn't look too pleased as he approached the half-Saiyan. "Well, Gohan, I hope you're happy. 18 is royally pissed that bathtime was interrupted so whatever it is that Marron says you have to tell me better be good!"

Gohan blushed brightly, feeling slightly guilty. And he had a slight fear 18 would come and attempt to beat him up. She was not someone you wanted to cross. "Uh, sorry about that! Um, well. . .I'm finally gonna propose to Videl and I wanted to ask how you proposed so I can get some ideas."

Krillin's anger receded and he began to chuckle. "Well it's about time! I thought you would never get around to it! Even though having that goof Mr. Satan as a father-in-law would make me want to jump off a roof. But hey, I guess we have to make sacrifices for the ones we love, right?"

"Uh. . .yeah. . ."

"But anyway," Krillin continued with a grin, "the night I proposed to 18 was magical. She couldn't resist me! We had been dating for two years at that point and I didn't want to waste any more time! Let me tell you all about it. . ."

*flashback*

_Krillin adjusted his tie he was wearing, wanting to look his very best for his date with 18 that night. But it wasn't just any ordinary date; he was planning on asking her to marry him. Master Roshi had let him have the house to his house that night (he had left with a wad of dollar bills, so he could only imagine where he was going) and he had prepared a nice candlelit dinner for him and his lovely girlfriend. It would indeed be an evening to remember._

_18 came down the stairs, looking stunning in a turquoise sequined gown and Krillin felt his heart flutter. She was so beautiful she took his breath away. He ushered her over to the table and pulled the chair out for her to sit in. "Look, 18, I made you some spaghetti, your favorite!"_

"_Well, it would have to be my favorite since it's the only thing you know how to make," she snipped, tucking a strand of her golden locks behind her ear._

"_Also. . .this just isn't some ordinary date. . ."_

_18's eyes widened as Krillin pulled a guitar out from under the table, catching her totally off guard._

"_What the hell, Krillin?..."_

_Krillin began to strum on the guitar to the best of his ability, which sounded more like an animal crying out in pain as it met its untimely death. But in Krillin's head it sounded like something a classical composure like Bach or Beethoven would have commend him on. 18 only looked on in horror. She didn't think anything could be as horrifying as being absorbed by Cell. Boy, was she wrong._

"_18, beautiful 18," Krillin began to sing terribly off tune. "Since the first time I saw you back when you were a killing machiiiiiiiiiiine, I knew you were the one for meeeeeee! I could have killed you with that remote control so Cell wouldn't absorb youuuuuuuuuuu, but if I would've done such a thing I would have forever been singing the blueeeeeeeeeeeeeessss! My heart was taken by you, even though you turned me down on The Lookout after the battle with Cellllllllll! Thankfully now that bastard is rotting away in helllllllll! Now we can be together forever, forever, forever, FOR-EVERRRRRRRRRRR!" he held that note for thirty seconds, though it seemed like a small eternity to 18. She could've sworn she heard a window shatter. Maybe even two windows at that._

_He then got down on one knee, and reached for her hand. "Oh, sweeeeet, suuuuultry 18, will you marry meeeeeeee?"_

"…_Are you finished?" she asked, slightly afraid there was some sort of dance portion next._

"_Yes! Wasn't that great? I had a tape recorder going the whole time so that you can go back and play that beautiful tune whenever you want! So what do you say? Will you marry me, my love?"_

_18 had her usual scowl on her face, then it softened into what could pass for a smile. He was indeed a total dweeb, but he was her dweeb. And there was nobody else she would rather be with. She let out a deep breath and nodded. "Yes, Krillin I will marry you."_

"_Yippee!" he cheered, nearly jumping a foot in the air from excitement. "Who would've thought that me of all guys would land such a hot babe like you?!"_

"_Yeah, I never would've thought it. That's for sure," she quipped._

"_Hey!" _

_But it didn't matter to him. He was now engaged to the most beautiful former killing machine on the planet and someday they would make beautiful babies together. He was one lucky man._

*end of flashback*

"Wasn't that the most beautiful engagement story you've ever heard?" Krillin asked, nearly tearing up at the memory.

"Sure. . ." Gohan faked a smile. He had real sympathy for 18. He had heard Krillin sing at karaoke before. It wasn't a pretty sight.

"I think you should do the same thing for Videl: take her out to dinner and sing her a song! There's no way she could resist that," Krillin grinned, nodding his head proudly.

That gave Gohan an awesome idea. "I'm not much of a singer. But when I first became the great Saiyaman I came up with a rap that went '_**Hiya ho, here we go! I'm the man with the plan to uplift the good and root out the bad 'til we're living like we should! Hiya! Woah ho, uh huh! Now you understand that I'm the, mhm mhm!, Great Saiyaman!**_' Maybe I could come up with something similar since Videl said she loved my Saiyaman rap!"

"Yeah, I'm sure she'll love it!" Krillin smiled, though he was trying not to laugh at that rap Gohan just performed. Some people just weren't as musically inclined as he was. What a shame.

With that new idea in his head, Gohan said goodbye to his old friend and left, remembering that his mother had told him he needed to pick up Goten from Capsule Corp. after having a sleepover with Trunks the night before.

_Hey, maybe I can ask Vegeta for marriage advice next! He'd be willing to talk to me!_

_At least I think he would. . ._

_Maybe not. . ._

_But I'll try!_

* * *

He arrived thirty minutes later at Capsule Corp. and Mrs. Briefs greeted him at the door with her usual clueless grin. "Oh, hello, Gohan sweetie! You're looking just as handsome as ever! Goten wanted me to tell you that him and Trunks are playing hide-and-go-seek and he won't go home until you find him!"

"But this place is huge! It could take me hours to find him," Gohan groaned, raking a hand through his hair.

"Well, I guess you better get started now! I'll make you a cup of tea in the meantime," Mrs. Briefs giggled, heading towards the kitchen.

_Dammit I don't have time for games! But I guess in the meantime I can go ahead and find Vegeta and ask for some pointers about marriage._

Gohan made his way up to the gravity room, assuming that's where Vegeta would be since all he did was train. He anxiously knocked on the door, hoping Vegeta would be in a good mood. Well, as good of a mood as the usual grouchy Saiyan Prince could be in that is. The door slid open a few seconds later, and revealed Vegeta behind it, his body covered in sweat as he panted slightly. He looked angrier than usual. "About damn time you got here! Your brat of a brother has been driving me crazy in here!"

"Huh?"

He looked behind Vegeta to see Goten and Trunks in Super Saiyan form bouncing around the room, laughing menacingly as they shot energy blasts at each other. Goten then caught sight of his older brother and wailed. "Ahhhh man! Gohan how did you find me?! Me and Trunks hid in here because we figured this was the last place you'd look. You know, cuz sometimes you're scared of Vegeta!"

Gohan laughed nervously as he felt Vegeta's glare burn a hole into him. "Haha, Goten where do you come up with these crazy things? I'm not scared of Vegeta! In fact, Vegeta is the person I was looking for!"

"He was?" the two younger demi-Saiyans said in unison with quirked eyebrows. Gohan and Vegeta weren't exactly buddies so they were completely baffled.

"What is it you want? Are you looking for an ass beating or something?" Vegeta scoffed, leaning against the doorway.

Goten and Trunks returned to their normal form and suddenly became interested in the conversation, moving up closer so they could hear better.

"No, no! You see, tonight I'm going to ask Videl to marry me and I'm kind of nervous about it so I was wondering if you had any pointers for me," Gohan said in his friendliest voice, hoping for the best but preparing for the worst. Vegeta was nowhere near as bad as he used to be before the fight with Buu and was less intimidating. But still he wasn't the most personable person out there.

Vegeta eyed him skeptically at first, making Gohan hold his breath in anticipation. His scowl then smoothed out, forming a smirk. "Well, I'm glad you came to me instead of that brain-dead father of yours. There's no way that fool knows how to satisfy a woman."

"Yeah, he thought marriage was food at first," Gohan agreed.

"Mom use to tell me that story at bedtime. But if marriage really was food the world would be a better place," Goten added, imagining fried chicken as his bride.

"Anyway," Vegeta said with a roll of his eyes, amazed at how equally stupid Goten was as Kakarot. "My relationship with Bulma is nothing like the one you have with your woman. We didn't go on dumb dates and there was no meaningless engagement. We don't have to display our affections in front of others like most feel the need to, or try to prove something. I wouldn't degrade myself to any of that."

_Sounds really romantic. . ._

"But," he continued, his expression softening. "Me and her don't _have_ to do any of that. What I admire in her is her independence and self-confidence. Her personality matches mine in the sense that we don't have to cling to each other or worry about what others think. And that is why me and her have lasted so long. It works for us. So you and your woman must find out what works for you two."

_Wow, he's deeper than I realized. . ._

Gohan nodded and grinned. "Thanks, Vegeta."

"But one more thing. No woman wants a pushover. You need to be more assertive," Vegeta said over his shoulder. "So quit being so wimpy and man-up."

_I knew he'd have to make a snarky comment. Oh, well it was nowhere near as bad as I thought it would. He's not so bad after all._

"Right. I will make sure to work on that! Now, come on Goten let's go home. I've got to get ready for my date with Videl."

"Aw, okay!" Goten said sadly, waving goodbye to his best friend. As they were halfway out of the house they were stopped by Bulma, who had just returned from the rest of her shopping trip, with her hands packed full of at least half a dozen bags.

"Hey, Gohan! Have you thought anymore of how you're gonna propose to Videl?" she said as she placed the bags down and stretched out her sore muscles. Carrying all those bags was a workout in itself.

"Yeah! I talked to Krillin and he gave me a few ideas. And Vegeta gave me a few pointers as well."

"Vegeta, huh? I didn't know you were gonna ask him; I didn't think he of all people would be much help. But he is skillful in some areas. I don't call him 'vag-eater' for nothing," she winked shamelessly.

It took Gohan a few seconds to catch on, then he felt his lunch preparing to come back up. That was way more information than he ever needed to know about the Saiyan prince. Goten, however, was completely clueless, staring up in puzzlement at Bulma. He was much too young and innocent to even understand.

"Well, on that note we gotta get going! I don't wanna keep Videl waiting," he waved at Bulma as he ushered Goten out the door.

"Okay, let me know how it goes!" she called after him as he and Goten took off into the air.

_One hour until my date with Videl! But. . .am I prepared enough?_

* * *

Gohan gave himself one last look in his bedroom mirror before getting ready to leave. He had on his best shirt and pants, looking rather spiffy if he did say so himself. He buttoned up the last button on his white-collared shirt and sprayed a moderate amount of cologne on. He gave himself a quick mental pep talk as he stared at his reflection then let out a deep breath. He was ready to do this. He reached for the ring on his dresser as he left the room and placed it in his back pocket. He made his way into the kitchen, where Goku was sneaking a few of the dinner rolls Chi-Chi had prepared in his mouth while she had her back to him as she put the finishing touches on the pork roast that she had just pulled out of the oven.

"Dad, do you think I look okay?" Gohan asked as he tugged at his collar, slightly annoyed at how it itched.

Goku swallowed and took a drink of water. "Yeah, I think you look great! But why are you dressed so fancy?"

Gohan let out a deep breath, his expression becoming serious. "I-I'm going to propose to Videl tonight. I just want to make sure this whole thing goes perfectly."

Before Goku could answer the sound of plates shattering startled them both as Chi-Chi literally dropped what she was doing and practically flew over the kitchen table to Gohan, squeezing him so tightly he nearly lost all oxygen to his lungs. "Uh, mom?"

"Ohhhhhhh, Gohan, this is the news I've been waiting for your whole life! My little boy is about to get married! And to a wealthy girl at that! You will be financially set for life!"

"Well, Mom I—"

"And this means grandkids are on the way! I've waited so long to be a grandmother, I just can't wait to knit them cute little booties to wear on their cute little feet! And then—"

"Mom! You're getting carried away. I haven't even asked her yet. I'm so worried I'll mess it up," he sighed, massaging the back of his neck.

Goku gave him his usual cheery smile and rested a hand on his shoulder. "Relax! You're acting like you're about to fight Cell all over again. A marriage proposal should be a piece of cake. . .really, it should be a piece of chocolate cake like I use to think it was!"

_Dad and Goten really are too much alike. . ._

"But I know that you truly love Videl, and that she loves you just as much. Just be yourself and it will all work out," Goku encouraged him, his smile sincere.

Gohan smiled back, feeling completely at ease. "Thanks, Dad."

"Oh, hush Goku! What do you know about romance? You're the most clueless of them all!" Chi-Chi huffed, scowling at her husband. She then turned to Gohan and grabbed him by the shoulders, bringing him down to her eye level. "What your father said is true, yes, but you need to make SURE you don't mess this up because you hit the jackpot with this girl! You can be a bit socially awkward at times so make sure you pour on the charm and keep your cool at all times! Don't screw this up, or else!"

Gohan gulped. He felt the color slightly drain from his face as he pulled back from his mother's grasp. "I'll make sure this evening goes smoothly," he assured her as he exited the house, his nerves at an all-time high. He had so many different opinions about how to act and what to do. Hopefully he could take everyone's advice and somehow make it work. He picked up Videl a few minutes later and they made their way over to one of the fanciest restaurants in town, where he had made reservations.

"I must say I'm rather surprised you took me here! You usually don't like fancy places," she smiled as they sat down in a booth tucked away in the corner. She smoothed out her little black dress she was wearing, making sure it didn't ride up any further. Gohan intently watched her all the while, feeling a blush creep up on his cheeks.

"Well, I just wanted to do something special for you. You deserve it."

_That's right, pour on the charm like Mom said!_

She giggled and reached across the table for his hand, stroking her fingers over his knuckles gently. "You know I've been thinking a lot about the future lately, since we just graduated college and have jobs now. So many changes are taking place; I don't know if I can keep up with it all."

He uncharacteristically smirked. "Well, you'll never have to worry about your future with me. I will guide you through life with a steady hand!"

_Now I'm being assertive and confident like Vegeta said. I'm on a roll!_

Videl quirked an eyebrow skeptically, tucking a stray strand of her shoulder-length hair behind her ear. "And what exactly is our future together, Gohan?"

_Ah man, this is my cue!_

"I'm glad you asked that," he began tapping on the table, letting that be his beat. Videl stared back puzzled, unsure of what he was doing. "You see, Videl aka Saiyagirl you're my world," he rapped, getting in the groove, pretending he was on open mic night. "You've been with me through thick and thin, you're my best friend. I taught you to fly, and you know on me you can always rely. You're my one and only, my homie, and without you I'll be forever lonely. Mhm mhm!"

_Man, maybe I should change my profession to a rapper. I think I've got skills._

Videl just looked at him with a blank expression, her jaw hanging open slightly. She felt embarrassed as people at other tables began to snicker and ducked lower in her seat, attempting to hide herself. "Gohan. . .have you been drinking again?" she whispered lowly, knowing that when he drank he acted like an idiot to put it nicely, so it seemed to be the only logical answer for his bizarre antics.

"What?! No!" Gohan shook his head frantically, waving his hands out in front of him. "You used to say you liked the raps I came up with when I first became Saiyaman so I thought I would make up one about you!"

Videl rolled her eyes and reached for a piece of bread, smothering it with a slab of butter. "Yeah, I said that because I didn't want to hurt your feelings. Music is not your gift. Krillin is a better singer than you, and that's saying a lot."

He flinched, sweat beginning to drip down the side of his face. He took a sip of water, beginning to feel completely panicked, even though he knew Chi-Chi told him to keep his cool. But he couldn't keep his cool, his plan was failing! And his ego was slightly bruised as well.

Videl leaned back in her seat, glaring at her boyfriend. She knew something was up and wanted to know what exactly was going on. He was acting too odd. "What is up with you today? Are you keeping something from me?"

"Sort of. . .I mean, no! It's supposed to be a surprise!"

Her eyes narrowed dangerously, making him immobilized. He knew that look. And it was not a good thing. She let out a huff and slid out of the booth to stand up, placing her hands on her hips. "I don't think I'll stick around to see what this 'surprise' is."

"Wait! Waiiiiiiiiit!" Gohan cried, running up to her as she headed out the door, grabbing her by the wrist. The whole restaurant was staring at them but he didn't care. He wasn't going to mess this up any more than he already had. "Videl, I brought you here for a reason."

"To do what? Act like an idiot and embarrass us both with your corny rap?"

"No! And my rap wasn't corny! But that's beside the point. The real reason I brought you here is. . .to ask you to marry me."

Her whole demeanor instantly did a 180, her azure eyes growing impossibly wide, her lips beginning to quiver. ". . .What?" was all she could get out, totally flabbergasted. She felt as though she didn't have enough oxygen in her lungs.

"The reason I was acting so stupid before was because I took marriage advice from others. Krillin told me to sing you a song, so I did the best I could with that. Then Vegeta told me I'm a wimp and I need to man-up so I tried to be more assertive. And my mom told me to pour on the charm and to not screw up but I most definitely did," he sighed, hanging his head down. He was too scared to see her reaction.

Videl stood on her tiptoes and placed his face in her hands, forcing him to look at her. He was surprised to see her smiling ear-to-ear. "Gohan, you goof! I think it's sweet you went to all that trouble to make this special, but you didn't have to do any of that! I want you to be yourself and not have to try to be something you're not. I love you just the way you are."

_So out of everyone, Dad was the one that was right. All I had to do was be myself._

He let out a sigh of relief and kissed her softly, a jolt of electricity passing through his body as he did so. As they pulled back from each other, Gohan dug into his back pocket and pulled out the ring, getting down on one knee. Videl watched him all the while with tears spilling down her cheeks. She couldn't believe this was really happening. She had waited so long for this moment.

"Videl, I'm going to tell you exactly how I feel about you" he began in his softest voice, "you've been with me through so much. To getting through high school together, to everything that happened during the battle with Buu. You are strong both mentally and physically, and that's what I admire most in you. You are the strongest and bravest person I know. And you are so incredibly beautiful and smart. You're the total package. There is nobody else I would rather grow old with, and I hope you are willing to put up with me. Will you do me the honor of making me the happiest man alive and marrying me?"

Tears freely flooded down her cheeks at this point and she nodded the best she could. "Y-yes Gohan I will marry you!"

Gohan grinned as wide as possible and slipped the ring on her finger. He then stood up and gathered her up in his arms, holding her as closely as possible. "I love you," he whispered as he pulled her in for another kiss, setting every pore in their bodies on fire.

They were then interrupted as the restaurant clapped and cheered, forgetting that they were being watched the whole time in the middle of the room. And it didn't help that Videl was a celebrity as well. Gohan blushed and smiled sheepishly. "I'm glad you said yes or that would have been pretty embarrassing in front of all these people!"

"Mmh," Videl mumbled, too focused on the beautiful rock on her wedding finger, mesmerized by the way it sparkled so brightly. She wasn't a big jewelry person but she couldn't deny this was the most beautiful ring she had ever laid her eyes on. And it seemed way too pricey for Gohan's measly paycheck he was currently getting. "Say, how did you pay for this? You only make 500 zenie a week; this looks like it cost way more."

"Uh, it's classified, sort of. . ."

"Huh?"

"Anyway," he desperately tried to change the subject. "Why don't we go somewhere more quiet? If you know what I mean."

Videl smirked, knowing exactly what he meant. "I like that idea."

And so they walked out of the restaurant hand in hand, happy as could be. Their love had truly blossomed right before their eyes, from simple puppy love into real, true love. They both could not wait to see what the next chapter of their lives would hold for them.

-The End-

A/N: So there is my first attempt at a humorous story I hope it wasn't too terrible. And yes, I came up with Krillin's poetic song and Gohan's gangster rap all by myself. But Gohan's Saiyaman rap I quoted in bold letters was from one of the Saiyaman saga episodes. I just had to put it in there since it brought me so much joy as a kid watching it. :P


End file.
